Roll-holding camera.



No. 706,245. Patented Aug. 5, |902.

W. LOUDEN.

BULL HOLDlNG CAMERA.

(Application lad Apr. 16, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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.THF News arms co. morauwn., wAsmNowN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM LOUDEN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

ROLL-HOLDING CAMERA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,245, dated August 5, 1902.

Application filed April 16, 1902. Serial No. 103,210. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LOUDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairiield, in the county of Jefferson and State ot' Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roll-Holding Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of rollholding cameras in which different sizes of lms are used and exposures of different sizes are made; and it consists of novel means for accomplishing this result in a manner more simple, convenient, and eective than has hitherto been done, which is fully set out in this specicatiomand more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a rear View of the roll-holding part of a camera embodying my invention, the back being removed and the film and its opaque backing being left out to give a clearer View of the parts. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, the back being replaced and the iilm adjusted to its working position. Fig. is a transverse section onthe line 3 3 of Fig.. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sectional detail views.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the holder, B the usual end compartments containing the film-spools D and E, and C the center compartment containing the field of exposure.

F is the back of the holder, which is made removable and is tted with the usual sighthole G.

H is the sensitive lm, and I is its opaque backing.

.I represents the rollers, over which the film passes in being wound from one spool to the other in passing over the field of exposure,l and K is the usual thumb-nut, by means of which the receiving-spool is turned in receiving the film. The thumb-nut is provided with a pawl and ratchet to prevent it from turning backward; but as these'devices are common to the art and are fully understood they are not shown in the drawings.

The spindles L and M are made of metal rods or bars, either triangular, square, or oval or such other shape in cross-section as to have sharp longitudinal corners or edges which when passed into the cylindrical bore of the spools L and M will catch and hold and cause the spools and spindles to turn together. The spindle M has a pinion on each e'nd, which are adapted to turn in suitable bearings in the body of the holder. The spindle K has a similar pinion on one of its ends, and its other end is iitted to connect with the thumbnut K in the usual manner.

. In order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the spindles L and M, I use brackets N, made ot' spring-plates, secured to the body of the holder by screws, as shown, or by other suitable fastenin gs. These brackets are iittedwith holes to receive one end of the spindles and to hold them in position while being turned to transfer the iilm from the delivering-spool to the receiving-spool. lVhen inserting or removing a spool, the bracket N is sprung back, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that the end of the spindle can be slipped in or out, and when in position the spring of the bracket will securely hold the spindle in position.

The spindles L and M are made of square, triangular, or oval metal, as shown in crosssection in Figs. 2 and 6, or of some other form having angular corners or ribs longitudinally thereon,vso as to impinge against or slightly indent the walls of the bore of the spool and hold it in whatever position it may be placed upon the spindle. Fig. 6 shows two views in cross-section of two different-shaped spindles inserted in the bore of a spool, the ring surrounding said sections representing said bore. Therefore spools of any length maybe mounted on the spindles and adjusted to anydesired part thereon, and they will stay in this position until removed by the operator. Should they become loose by wear or by using spools of different-sized bores, by a little wedging with a sliver of wood or by using other wellknown expedients they can be held securely on any desired part of the spindles. By this means spools containing films of different widths can be used up to the full capacity ot' the holder without any adjustment ot' the spool-holding devicesexcept to push the spool onto the spindle to the desired location. It is not intended that the bore of the spools shall be the same shape in cross-section as that of the spindles, for in that case the sharp corners on the spindles could not impinge IDO against or become indented in the wall of the sired, they may be made by bending at right bore, so as to make the spools stick on ivhatever part of the spindles they :m ay be placed, as contemplated by my invention. As these spools are found in market they have cylindrical bores, and this is the preferable i'orm to use with my spindle.

In order to reduce the iield of exposure to a size smaller than the full size of the holder, I use a plate P, having an opening 0 in its interior the size ot' the exposure to be made. I tit the upper ends of the partitions Q with rabbets and place rabbet-strips It on the sides ot' the body A and make the plates P to lit light-tight into these rabbets. The lm II, with its opaque backing I, is passed behind this plate, and thus the eld of exposure will be reduced to the size ot the opening O in the plate P. To hold the plate P securely in position when in use, I afhx small spring-catches X to the inner sides of the body A, as shown in Fig. 3. I{ii/Then exposures of different sizes less than the i'uli size of the holder are to be made; plates having openings ot' the desired size are inserted. It is evident that a number of different sizes of exposures can be made by having plates with the required size of opening, also that the exposure may be made ot' any desired shape, as well as size, by making the shape ot' the opening to suit, and that when the operator does not happen to have a plate with the desired size or shape of opening he can generally make one of cardboard, tin, or other suitable material.

Roll-holding cameras have heretofore been made to use iilms of certain sizes, which sizes are usually kept by dealers in camera supplies Wound upon spools ready for insertion in the camera. As thus made only certain sizes oi'l pictures can be taken With the camera, and ii' the proper size of film cannot be obtained the camera cannot be used atall. Vith my invention all that is necessary is to have a camera large enough for the largest size of picture to be taken and then use a nlm and plate Phaving an opening to suit it for mal*- ing the smaller sizes. In case a film of one size cannot be procured a lm of another size within the capacity ofthe camera can be used by either having or making a plate with the proper size of opening. Of course it will be understood that when the largest size of iilm within the capaeityot the camera is used the plate P vvill not be required.

Further, to assist in holding the .film and its backing in proper position should the spools by any means become loosened or get shifted on the spindles I form flanges T on the back side of the plate P, between which the iilm and its backing will pass, as shown in Iig. o. These flanges notonly form guides for the film, but also help to shut out anylight that might getinthrongh thesight-holeG. Theyare preferably set back a little from the edges of the opening O, so that the opening maybe made a shade smaller, or at least no larger than the Widths of the film and its backing; but, it' deangles a portion of the plate adjoining the opening O, as shown in Fig. 5.

To carry the plates P conveniently in the holder when not in use, I place springelamps S on the inside of the back F and arrange these clamps to catch and hold one or more of the plates in place, as shown in Fig. 2. It is preferable to swivel these clamps, so that they may be turned to insert or remove the plates. Small pins or projectionsU may also be affixed tothe back F, so as to prevent the plates from slipping` out oi' position, and the openings O being of different sizes the flanges T will nest into each other.

I have shown an extension V surrounding the sight-hole G, which I esteem advantageous, as it may be brought quite close lo the opaque backing I, and thus effectually shut out whatever light might come in through this hole, and this extension will not be in the Way in storing the plates P in the back of the holder, and at the same time the marks on the outside of the opaque backing I may be seen to greater advantage.

Ifihat I claim isl. In a roll-holding camera, a removable plate having an opening in the central part of its body, and being adapted to be adjusted in front of the sensitive hlm for an exposure of reduced size, or to be removed therefrom to permit a full-sized exposure.

2. In a roll-holding camera a series ot' plates, each having a different-sized opening` in the central part ofits body,each plate being adapted to be adjusted, one at a time, in front of a sensitive iilm of a size to correspond with the opening in its body, and to be removed therefrom to permit the use of a dii'Ierent-sized film.

3. In a roll-holding camera having two end compartments for the roll-holding spools, and a central compartment for the held of exposure, a removable plate having an opening in its body, and being adapted to be adjusted in front of the Iilm and upon the partitions between the compartments so as to eftcctually shut out the light at the ends of the plate, and limit the size of exposure. j

4. In a roll-holding camera, a removable plate having an opening in its body adapted to be adjusted in front of the iilm to regulate the area of the exposure, and flanges on its back to guide the passage of the lm over said opening.

5. In a roll-holding camera having two end compartments for the roll-holding spools, and a central compartment for the ield of exposure, a removable plate having an opening in its body, and being adapted to be adjusted in front of the film and into rabbets in the edges of the partitions and also in the sides of the body of the camera to shut out the light at the edges of the plate and limit the size ot exposure.

6. In a roll-holding camera, a removable plate having an opening in its body, adapted.

IOO

IIO

to be adjusted in front of the film to regulate the area of the exposure and means in the body of the holder to the rear of the iilm for storing the plate when not in use.

7. In a roll-holding camera, a series of removable plates, each having an opening of a different size in its body adapted to be adjusted in front of the film to regulate the area of the exposure, and means in the body of the holder to the rear of the iilm for storing said plates one being adapted to fit upon another.

8. In a roll-holding camera a removable plate having an opening in its body adapted to be adjusted in front of the film to regulate the area of the exposure, and spring-clamps secured to the back of the holder to clamp the plate in position to the rear of the iilm when not in use.

9. In a roll-holding camera having plates, each having an opening in its body for regulating the area of exposure, a back With a sight-hole having an extension on its inner side, and means for storing said plates on said back so as to surround said extension.

l0. In a roll-holding camera, metallic spindles adapted to pass into the bore of the rollholding spools, said spindles having angular corners longitudinally disposed thereon, and said corners being adapted to impinge against the Wall of said bore and hold the spools fixed upon the spindles.

11. In a roll-holding camera, roll-holding spools having cylindrical bores, and metallic spindles adapted to pass into said bores, said spindles having angular ribs longitudinally disposed thereon and said ribs being adapted to become indented in the Wall of the bore and hold the spool fixed thereon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 4o in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM LOUDEN.

Witnesses z V. W. MIDDLETON,

S. HUToHINs. 

